City May Set Sound Of Silence

LEESBURG - Blaring music, loud equipment or a barking dog - whatever the form of the noise, some residents want a city ordinance to stop it, and they may get the law.

Donna Goodwin and her husband, Duane, are behind the movement for a noise ordinance in Leesburg. They said they have had to endure what sounded like an ``airplane landing and taking off'' until managers at Beverage Body and Trailer Services Inc. shut off a noisy compressor that ran all night.

The Goodwins live in the unincorporated area of Lake County, but the company next door was in the city. She said if the city had a noise ordinance, it might have saved her family a lot of sleepless nights.

``Somehow I feel I am not the only one in this type of situation, where excessive noise is a problem,'' Goodwin said.

Based on the Goodwins' complaints and requests from neighborhood associations, City Manager Tony Otte said his staff is researching the issue and will ask city commissioners on Feb. 14 what they want to do. Otte said he wants to consider the benefits of having a noise ordinance and what it would take to enforce it.

``Over the years as we developed neighborhood groups, complaints about noise have come up,'' he said.

The issue of regulating noise came into the limelight last spring, when the city of Tavares wrestled with the idea and ultimately passed restrictions in August with fines up to $250. In that situation, too, county residents were sparring with a business in the city - Dead River Vic's bar and restaurant, on U.S. Highway 441.

Neighbors still are not happy - Vic's was cited on a couple of occasions and is headed for court.

The Tavares ordinance gives police officers factors to consider before issuing a citation, including how close the noise is to sleeping areas, how long it's been going on and the time of day.

In September, Groveland also adopted a noise ordinance similar to Tavares'. City Manager Jason Yarborough said so far its enforcement is ``going very well.

``It is hard to define something as abstract as noise,'' Yarborough said.

Robert Williams, Tavares city attorney, said the biggest difficulty is finding a way to measure what is noisy. He said that is why a smorgasbord of factors was given to officers as tools.

Not everybody likes Tavares' ordinance. Steve Richey, attorney for Dead River Vic's, has said decibel readings that also consider noise levels in the surrounding areas are the most fair. Tavares officials say such measurements are more complicated and costly than they sound.

Otte said Leesburg is researching all methods. He said noise has long been a concern of neighborhood groups.

Goodwin said she wants a noise ordinance that unties police hands on other violations to end ``unnecessary, excessive noise.''

She said her family is the fifth generation to live on the land at 2909 South St. where she and her husband grow orchids and operate a landscaping business. She said industry moved to the area long after her home was built there.

The Feb. 14 meeting of the commission to consider the issue is set for 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.